Jalen Rose Calling Paul Pierce “Petty” To His Face Was My Favorite Moment Of A WILD Week In The NBA

Jalen Rose WENT AT Paul Pierce during NBA Countdown. He called him "petty" for not wanting an Isaiah Thomas tribute video to play during his evening of honor. He also called out the fact that Pierce is being honored postgame, unlike Kobe Bryant's all-game tribute. Video via ESPN: pic.twitter.com/qLoPGKvuST

I gotta give it up to Jalen Rose… the man lived up to his billing here. You want to claim “Keep it 100” as your thing, you better sure as fuck keep it 100.

And calling your friend and co-host “petty” on National TV… at the peak of all this controversy… straight to his face… is keeping it 100.

That wasn’t fake. That wasn’t a ratings grab. That was a dude who very much understands and embraces his role within this NBA community taking a real ass stance on a dumb and petty but still weirdly meaningful issue.

But you know what my least favorite and therefore most favorite part about this was…

It was old man game Washington Wizards era Paul Pierce thinking he still had some youth in those legs and just airmailing a stepback.

Shortly after Jalen Rose's rant, Paul Pierce responded with an 81 joke. He said, "You know what Jalen, you were right. I am petty. You know what? I'm going to be petty 81 more times too."https://t.co/h7yXJMIR6E

The thing about an 81 joke on Jalen is that if you don’t nail it then it comes off as the lamest shit ever. Embiid going from 69% healthy to 81% healthy after Jalen criticized him was hilarious. Incredible pull in that situation. Subtle, simple, perfectly connected. It was an A+.

Paul saying “yeah I’m gonna keep being petty… EIGTHY ONE more times” was a straight F. It makes absolutely no sense. It has no context. It’s horrendous.

It’s like going with a tiny dick insult after a losing a board game. Hey dude, me and my little dick just connect four’d your tiny brain on the bottom row.

Hey Paul, what does 81 have to do with you acting like a teenage girl mad that Abigail brought a new boyfriend to your Sweet Sixteen. I half expect Paul to be crying in a tiara in the bowels of TD Garden when they give Isaiah a round of applaud during that game now.

It’s one thing for Rajon Rondo to be bitter that he didn’t get the same love as Isaiah did. You’re getting your number immortalized for the second most prestigious franchise in sports history and you’re mad that a player *who will already be there* and *who will already be getting a round of applause* was also going to get a two minute video to go with it.

I had actually agreed with Paul (and with Isaiah) and yesterday said the Celtics are the assholes in this situation for creating this mess in the first place by choosing a Cleveland game instead of any of the 39 other home games that didn’t involve the team they just made a massive, controversial trade with.

But honestly that 81 joke flopped so hard I might have changed my mind.

Also I still hate you Paul for helicoptering around MSG and this definitely wasn’t me being a petty blogger who’s held a grudge since 2010 and will take any chance to snipe at you. For sure not.